Coleman Falls?

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

Harry Carpenter, David Coleman and Bill Maclaren. I confidently predict that they won't all see 2008.

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

80 a couple of weeks back, for one so often seen and heard he's vanished without a trace. Even the mighty Wikipedia doesn't seem to have a clue but it does note:

 

He retired without fanfare or recognition by the BBC, despite working for the corporation for over 40 years.

 

 

So assuming it wasn't some sleazy scandal they wanted hushed up did he slink away because he had some illness, or summat?

[Octopus of Odstock 2,203]

David Coleman is still very well. He just wanted a quieter life, to spend more time with his family. He was deeply affected by Brian Moore's (and Ron Pickering's) early deaths, and didn't want the same to happen to him (ie virtually no retirement).

As for "disappearing without a trace", he was on the news only a few weeks back, commentating on the demise of Grandstand !!

 

 

My favourite football commentator by far. I used to love the simple "1-0" whn anyone scored. I always felt, as does my dad, that he made even the most tedious game exciting.

[Lady Die 63]

My favourite football commentator by far. I used to love the simple "1-0" whn anyone scored. I always felt, as does my dad, that he made even the most tedious game exciting.

The opposite of John Motson who can make an exciting game tedious.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

I always thought that Barry Davies was a better commentator than Coleman, or Motson for that matter.

 

I used to love his poetic, cerebal, thought provoking comments. Football's loss is Ice Skating's gain.

[Godot 149]

I always thought that Barry Davies was a better commentator than Coleman, or Motson for that matter.

 

I used to love his poetic, cerebal, thought provoking comments. Football's loss is Ice Skating's gain.

 

 

In some respects I agree with you DDT, but in one other I can't. I couldn't bloody stand him, so bloody posh and opinionated. He just didn't do it for me, didn't like his voice either, a kind of lardy da Eric Idle.

 

With Coleman you never knew what was coming next, like: "Juantarena opens his legs and shows his class." Loved that.

 

As for Motty, he's just never grown up and he's loveable for that. I think that both he and Davies though have used that terrible comentators' phrase: "I fancy". That should have no place in any kind of commentary.

 

None of these guys can beat the Radio Four cricket team, of whom the very best was John Arlott. He once described a shot by Clive Lloyd as "The stroke of a man knocking a thistle top off with a walking stick".

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

I think we should start a new thread for old sports commentators. I like to think that if you ever wanted a job for life, the BBC sports department is a good place to start. Bill MacLaren, Murray Walker, the aforementioned John Arnott, Peter O'Sullivan and Ted Lowe have all racked up around half a century of service.

[Godot 149]

I think we should start a new thread for old sports commentators. I like to think that if you ever wanted a job for life, the BBC sports department is a good place to start. Bill MacLaren, Murray Walker, the aforementioned John Arnott, Peter O'Sullivan and Ted Lowe have all racked up around half a century of service.

 

They're dying now too (Arlott, James Hunt, Brian Johnson). Boycott and Trueman can't have too long to go and Cliff Morgan is getting on.

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

DDT; we should indeed have an old commetators thread. If David Coleman really is healthy and simply looking to prolong the situation he'll probably outlast them all. He was a damn good athlete for a while after all.

 

Therefore I propose we name the thread: Coleman Falls?

[Tuber Mirum 125]

Thread provisionally renamed, pending general approval.

 

I wonder if there are many other commentator threads which could maybe be merged with this one or not as the case may be?

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

Harry Carpenter - boxing and tennis commentator is 81 later this year. This glorious quote is stolen from wiki.

 

"Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the Cambridge President is kissing the cox of the Oxford crew."

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

Thread provisionally renamed, pending general approval.

 

 

Generally speaking, I approve.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,203]

Other old warhorses not mentioned already:

 

Peter Alliss,

Stuart Hall,

Max Robertson,

Reg Gutteridge,

Richie Benaud

 

 

Godot, I completely agree with you. Sometimes, listening to Barry Davies was a joy, but for every moment of commentating genius, he ruined it by moaning. I think you hit the nail spot on & bang! Still, BD was far better than the current new crop of football commentators (Tydelsley especially).

 

Arlott was class personified. Reading supporter too, so he had excellent taste!!

[Slave to the Grave 26]

Other old warhorses not mentioned already:

 

Peter Alliss,

Stuart Hall,

Max Robertson,

Reg Gutteridge,

Richie Benaud

 

 

Godot, I completely agree with you. Sometimes, listening to Barry Davies was a joy, but for every moment of commentating genius, he ruined it by moaning. I think you hit the nail spot on & bang! Still, BD was far better than the current new crop of football commentators (Tydelsley especially).

 

Arlott was class personified. Reading supporter too, so he had excellent taste!!

 

Stuart Hall has his own thread already here.

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

Reg Gutteredge, a good old geezer, amongst other things strongly opposed to women boxing because it just wasn't right.

 

True story: Reg was once talking to Sonny Liston, a man nicknamed 'The Bear' by Muhammad Ali. Liston was complaining his nickname led people to believe he was a complete animal. Said to Gutteredge that white men had loads of body hair whilst black men had very little and were therefore, not animals. Gutteredge bet him that he - Gutteredge - had less hair on a leg than Liston did. They took the £5 bet and each rolled up his right trouser leg. Liston had a few hairs, but not many. Gutteredge had no hairs because the bottom half of his leg was metal. The original had been shot off when he stormed a beach in WW2.

 

Liston thought the whole thing hilarious and paid up whilst still laughing.

[The Pooka 26]

Reg Gutteredge, a good old geezer, amongst other things strongly opposed to women boxing because it just wasn't right.

 

True story: Reg was once talking to Sonny Liston, a man nicknamed 'The Bear' by Muhammad Ali. Liston was complaining his nickname led people to believe he was a complete animal. Said to Gutteredge that white men had loads of body hair whilst black men had very little and were therefore, not animals. Gutteredge bet him that he - Gutteredge - had less hair on a leg than Liston did. They took the £5 bet and each rolled up his right trouser leg. Liston had a few hairs, but not many. Gutteredge had no hairs because the bottom half of his leg was metal. The original had been shot off when he stormed a beach in WW2.

 

Liston thought the whole thing hilarious and paid up whilst still laughing.

Gutteredge was very good. no doubt.

 

Agree that Barry Davies had that quality, Coleman also had it, that could really convey excitement in a way that Motson never could. Unfortunately Davies tended to get a little disparaging about 'Johnny Foreigner'. There was a little guy from Uruguay that he had it in for at the last World Cup - and he sounded just like the Marty Feldman spoof of many years ago.........if any of you remember. The best is still probably Benaud.

 

Interesting though how the great voices become inextricably linked with the great moments they describe. There was an ITV commentary on the World Cup Final of 66. Who remembers that?

[Godot 149]

Reg Gutteredge, a good old geezer, amongst other things strongly opposed to women boxing because it just wasn't right.

 

True story: Reg was once talking to Sonny Liston, a man nicknamed 'The Bear' by Muhammad Ali. Liston was complaining his nickname led people to believe he was a complete animal. Said to Gutteredge that white men had loads of body hair whilst black men had very little and were therefore, not animals. Gutteredge bet him that he - Gutteredge - had less hair on a leg than Liston did. They took the £5 bet and each rolled up his right trouser leg. Liston had a few hairs, but not many. Gutteredge had no hairs because the bottom half of his leg was metal. The original had been shot off when he stormed a beach in WW2.

 

Liston thought the whole thing hilarious and paid up whilst still laughing.

Gutteredge was very good. no doubt.

 

Agree that Barry Davies had that quality, Coleman also had it, that could really convey excitement in a way that Motson never could. Unfortunately Davies tended to get a little disparaging about 'Johnny Foreigner'. There was a little guy from Uruguay that he had it in for at the last World Cup - and he sounded just like the Marty Feldman spoof of many years ago.........if any of you remember. The best is still probably Benaud.

 

Interesting though how the great voices become inextricably linked with the great moments they describe. There was an ITV commentary on the World Cup Final of 66. Who remembers that?

I can't remember much of the 66 World Cup Final except watching it on telly in the digs where we were staying at Whitby on the East Coast. It didn't leave much of an impression on me at the time. I don't remember hearing the Wolstenholme quote although we would have been watching BBC where he worked, don't know who was on the others side. Did ITV have it?

[pulphack 6]

itv did, indeed, carry it. brian moore was the commentator, and his version of 'they think it's all over' was someting along the lines of 'ooh... no... hurst... yeeeeessssss!', or so i'm led to believe (i was only 18 months old at the time). bit of a shame, as brian is otherwise my all time favourite; i think mostly because my dad used to watch the big match with me, and that was on sunday afternoon, whereas match of the day was too late for me to watch with him. anyway, there was something in when saturday comes about it at the time of the last world cup, which is how come i know that small amount. motson is just an irritating bugger too keen to tell you his research while the game unfolds; also, he's become a bit of a motty caricature since the press started going on about how wonderful he was. barry davies could be a little too pompous at times, but i shall always treasure his genius/absurd 'he's an avuncular figure, rather like something out of chekov', which was (i think) about a midfielder. can't remember who, but my guess would be howard kendall when player/manager at blackburn.

 

generally, cricket commentators are the best - probably because they have the time to develop real character, given the (comparative) slowness of tests. i agree with the pooka (a man of rare taste): benaud was best, and will be sorely missed in the same way that arlott was when he retired.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,203]

itv did, indeed, carry it. brian moore was the commentator, and his version of 'they think it's all over' was someting along the lines of 'ooh... no... hurst... yeeeeessssss!', or so i'm led to believe (i was only 18 months old at the time).

 

I'm not sure it was Brian Moore, though I could be wrong. Was it not Hugh Johns for ITV, and Brian Moore was commentating on the radio that day or have I got the two mixed up?

I know Johns did commentary for that game, anyhow.

[pulphack 6]

you might be right - i'm relying on recall of an old article in a magazine! moore did do it, but it may have been radio. hugh johns was knocking around itv forever, so that's likely. certainly proves a point about wolstenholme though, that no-one's too sure who did itv!

[The Pooka 26]

you might be right - i'm relying on recall of an old article in a magazine! moore did do it, but it may have been radio. hugh johns was knocking around itv forever, so that's likely. certainly proves a point about wolstenholme though, that no-one's too sure who did itv!

 

"Some people are on the pitch ..... they think it's all over...... It is now!"

 

Those were the so-often quoted words of BBC Commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme as Geoff Hurst scored England's fourth goal against West Germany in extra time at the 1966 World Cup Final at Wembley. At precisely the same time on ITV, his counterpart - Hugh Johns - concentrating his thoughts on a hat trick possibility, told the viewers:

 

"Here's Hurst, he might make it three. He has! He has! ..... So that's it. That is IT!"

 

So there you go. You only get the one chance in live commentary.

 

Speaking of great sporting quotes: this from The Sun of all papers made it into Pseud's Corner in the 60s. 'The goal, when it came, was as simple and effective as the Parthenon'

[pulphack 6]

thank gawd someone can be bothered to do research. thanks for clearing that up. now, have you got a book you can look up moore in, as it must have been a radio commentary i was reading about. i'm relying on you, sir...

 

that pseuds corner quote is a doozy, though!

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

BBC recording of the match, complete with Kenneth Wolstenhome commentary free with today's News of the World, had a look at those few seconds again. Class!

[Mortician 2]

So Bill Threlfall (dull BBC tennis bloke who wasn't Dan Maskell) has shuffled off his mortal coil... and he made me wonder who are the Sports Commentators you'd like to see dead - or in the words of the legendary Ron Pickering 'Away You Go'....

[Real Madron 6]

i wouldn't like to see them dead, but Yogi Berra & Murray Walker are both 80+ both seem in good health though